Links
Cell Phones for Kids
College
- Estimate the cost of college: Savingforcollege.com (Look for “World’s Simplest College Calculator”)
- Turn everyday spending into college savings with UPromise, Little Grad, and Baby Mint
- Learn about paying off student loans here and here
- Learn about consolidating student loans
- Work a public service job to pay off student loans
Credit Report/Score
- Order your free credit reports: AnnualCreditReport.com
- Learn what impacts your score: myFICO
Credit Union
- Great faith-based organization: Christian Community Credit Union
- CCCU’s Facebook page
Eco Tips
- Consumer Reports: Greener Choices
- National Geographic: Green Guide
- Recycling resources: Earth 911
Estate Planning
- Write your own will: Nolo
- Organize your financial records: T. Rowe Price Family Records Organizer
Financial Advisors
- Find a faith-based advisor: Kingdom Advisors, Everyday Steward
Food
- Which organics are worth the price? Consumer Reports’ Guide
- Smart seafood choices: Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Find farmers’ markets: LocalHarvest
Free Music
- Download for free: Download.com
- Listen for free: Slacker
Free Smarts
- Courses from 200+ universities: Open Courseware Consortium
- Lectures on iTunes: iTunes U
- Lectures on YouTube: YouTube EDU
- Academic Earth
- Fora.tv
Free Stuff
- Craigslist Craigslist (Check “free” listings in the “for sale” section)
- Freecycle: Freecycle (Give and receive)
Generosity
- Sponsor a needy child: Compassion International
- Sponsor a needy child: World Vision
- Play a game, donate rice: FreeRice
- Give to charity with every Internet search: GoodSearch
- How to value donated items: Salvation Army Valuation Guide
Home Maintenance and Repair Guides
- Home Depot: How-To Center
- Lowe’s: Creative Ideas
- This Old House: Home Improvement Topics
Housing
- Buy vs. Rent calculator from Trulia
Identity Theft
- Financial ID theft: FTC Site
- Medical ID theft: World Privacy Forum
- Opt out of credit and insurance offers: OptOutPrescreen.com
Insurance
- How much insurance do you need? Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education
- Take an inventory of your stuff: Free Home Inventory Software
- What’s your home’s flood risk? Fed’s FloodSmart Site
Investing
- Simple retirement planning calculator: Fidelity (Click on “See how much you may need to save for retirement”)
- Asset Allocation Guidelines from Morningstar (PDF)
- Are you eligible for a Traditional or Roth IRA? SmartMoney IRA Primer
Paying Less
- Compare prices at Deals of America, Pricegrabber.com, Shopping.com, or Shopzilla.com
- Get coupons and coupon codes at Ask.com, and RetailMeNot.com
- Get grocery coupons: The Coupon Mom
- Canadian coupons site: Smartcanucks.ca
- Get money back: Ebates
Restaurant Meals
- Dine out for less: Restaurant.com (To save even more, search for “Restaurant.com coupon codes”)
Taxes
- See if you’re having too much withheld: IRS Calculator
Teaching Kids About Money
- Teaching kids 5 and younger: Thrive by Five
- Teaching kids age 2-18: Raising a Money Smart Child
- Online money game: Savings Quest
- Saner birthday parties: Birthdays Without Pressure
Travel
- Search the travel search engines: Mobissimo
Utilities
- Heat and cool your home for less: Energy Star
Vehicles
- Learn a vehicle’s true cost to own: Edmunds.com Calculator
- See which cars are the safest: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
- See how much a car is worth: Kelley Blue Book
- Read reviews and more: Consumer Reports (For ratings, consider a one month paid subscription)
- Find the cheapest gasoline: GasBuddy.com
